PKR’s Kebun Bunga representative Cheah Kah Peng said the PKR 5 had abstained from voting over concerns of transparency over the reclamation project.
However, he said after much deliberation, the PKR 5 had decided to “support” whatever was good for the people of Penang.
“We support the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP); we always did.
“We only ask for more public consultation, that it has a reasonable price tag, its development is sustainable, and carried out in a slow and easy manner which will not be a burden for the state government,” Cheah said in his debate of thanks for the Yang di-Pertua Negeri’s speech today.
This was the first time one of the PKR5 backbenchers has voiced his support for the state government, following the controversy over the abstention vote in the state assembly last year.
The group had abstained when it came to voting on a motion on land reclamation tabled by Umno’s Pulau Betong assemblyman Muhammad Farid Saad during the final day of the state assembly sitting on Nov 27 last year.
Yesterday, a PKR insider told FMT that the group would most likely vote against a similarly titled motion, put forth by Farid, which is likely to come up for a vote at the assembly this Thursday.
Besides Cheah, the others in the “PKR 5” are Ong Chin Wen (Bukit Tengah), Dr Norela Ariffin (Penanti), Dr T Jayabalan (Batu Uban) and Lee Khai Loon (Machang Bubuk).
Cheah and Ong were stripped of their directorships in state-linked companies following the controversy.
Meanwhile, Cheah also said he was happy that external auditors would review the RM27 billion transport master plan, saying it was in a step in the right direction.
State executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow (DAP-Padang Kota) immediately stood up to say the auditors had been appointed from day one.
The debate was then interrupted by Deputy Speaker Maktar Shapee for a dinner break at 6.30pm.
The house reconvenes at 8pm, with Cheah resuming his debate.
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